


Dimming Light and Fading Shadow

by bob2ff



Series: Seirin Shenanigans [7]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Gen, Humor, Implied Relationships, Introspection, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-21
Updated: 2014-04-21
Packaged: 2018-01-20 03:18:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1494589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bob2ff/pseuds/bob2ff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kagami and Kuroko begin to drift apart in their third year of high school.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dimming Light and Fading Shadow

**Author's Note:**

> Written for BPS' Challenge 67 (Music).

It would have been naive to think that the light and shadow of Seirin would always be together. The soundtrack of their friendship: thunks of the basketball on the courts, the yells of the spectators, the feeling of being utterly in love with a game and hating it at the same time for the pain it sometimes caused — it was music that could not last forever.

Like how most friendships drift apart, it started when they began hanging out less, spending lesser time in proximity to one another. Shortly after they graduated from the team as third-year Seirin basketball team all-stars, Kuroko started studying religiously for his entrance exams. He had only average to above average grades, but that did not mean he could not get into an at least halfway decent university in Tokyo.

Kuroko  _loved_  basketball, but he knew a passing specialist, even one as good as he was, could not survive in the professional basketball leagues. He played too differently to be considered a possible recruit — too specialized, not built enough, not well-rounded enough…so, instead of sinking into despair, Kuroko just set about, practical and pragmatic as always, searching out Japanese universities with a solid basketball presence.

Kagami had been aimless, looking briefly into Japanese universities, then American ones. He also peeked into basketball leagues, in Japan and America. He knew that regardless, he wasn’t going to be taking any entrance exams — wherever he ended up, he was going to be playing basketball. It was what he wanted to do, what he felt he was meant to do. But he had no idea where to begin. The first few weeks, he just spent lazing around, sometimes playing one-on-ones with Kuroko’s crazy friends the Miracles.

It seemed that Kuroko was the first to realize their friendship would eventually change, no matter how strong their bond was in basketball. Was there any wonder he was the one to realize it first? Kuroko understood all the emotional nuances Kagami didn’t and more, having an emotional maturity that transcended Kagami’s flustered, frantic, instinctual knowledge of  _feelings_  and whatnot.

Kagami still remembered the cheesy music of Maji Burger that played as they sat across from one another, right after the practice session during which they had passed their positions on Seirin’s basketball team to their underclassmen, for good.

“I can’t believe we’re not going to be playing next Interhigh,” Kagami said through a mouth stuffed with a huge bite of burger. “Feels weird.”

It had seemed like any of those hundreds of times they had sat in that same table in Maji Burger, Kagami’s tray overflowing with burgers and Kuroko sitting silently across, sipping a vanilla shake, Maji’s theme song playing in the background. Except this wasn’t, it was the time after they had officially ended their Seirin basketball career as a partnership.

Maji Burger’s terrible soundtrack blasted as Kuroko just pondered, sipping his shake. His large, serious eyes just stared at Kagami. Having known the guy for so long, Kagami felt that he had wanted to say something, but didn’t know what.

It could have been something in the lines of “we can always play basketball weekly,” or “you can drop by my university and we can play basketball together again,” something along the lines of trying to keep their partnership alive even when it inevitably died post-high school. But Kuroko said nothing, and the terrible music just played in the background, filling in what Kuroko didn’t say, as Kagami busied himself eating.

It became the last time they hung out together in Maji burger, as shortly after that, Kuroko had buried himself in practice exams and study sheets and a couple hundred things Kagami could not be bothered about that all weren’t basketball.

Kagami drifted around, but found a fellow aimless drifter in the form of Aomine, Kuroko’s former partner who had been first to leave his shadow.

Aomine listened to rap and hip hop occasionally — and very loudly. He loved the rhythm and beats that it provided to his basketball. When Kagami and him started playing one-on-ones regularly, he played his music loudly through his phone by the side of the courts, as they weaved around each other so fast and so swiftly, the ball moving around so fast they could not have played with anyone else but one another.

When Kagami had passed the ball to a shadow that wasn’t there, instinctually and without a thought, Aomine had abruptly stopped moving. The music still blaring in the background, he had stared at Kagami. “Are you an idiot? This is a  _one-on-one_. What are you passing to Tetsu for?”

Kagami had glared right back. Only dimly registering the music in the background, he had yelled back, “I forgot, okay? Sheesh, I’ve played with the guy for so long, of course I would forget he’s not around  _sometimes_.”

Aomine rolled his eyes at him. Then he had peered at him, analytical and calculating as Aomine could very occasionally be. “I haven’t seen Tetsu around in a while.”

Kagami just scoffed. “The idiot is busy being boring,  _studying_.” Aomine had narrowed his eyes, but had not said anything else after that. They had continued playing, the music providing the soundtrack to their fast-moving, adrenaline-pumping games.

It was only later that Kagami realized Aomine probably recognized the signs. After all, even though  _he_  had been the one to push Kuroko away, he had also been the one to intentionally stop playing basketball with Kuroko. He had been the one to start doing what Kuroko had started doing to Kagami —severing their partnership one missed basketball game after another.

When he had left, Aomine just punched Kagami on the shoulder and said, “Satsuki is nagging me to start looking at post-high school plans too. I’ll probably be too busy to play for a while. Why don’t you play with Tetsu instead.”

Kagami had frowned, wondering why he had suddenly brought up Kuroko when he was anything but a satisfactory one-on-one player (three-on-three however, now that was when Kuroko was a whole other thing. That was when Kagami only  _really_  enjoyed playing basketball if Kuroko was on his team).

It was Midorima who finally bludgeoned into Kagami’s head what was happening to their partnership, to Kagami’s eternal irritation and begrudging gratitude. He had bumped into him as the uptight bastard was busy looking for, what else, lucky items. In the music store.

Classical music was playing in the background where Kagami saw Midorima in that section. It figured that someone so proper would enjoy classical music. Kagami approached him.

“I should have gotten my lucky item earlier to ensure no unexpected unpleasantness,” Midorima had sniffed as he eyed Kagami imperiously. Kagami rolled his eyes.

“Figures you would like something as boring as classical music,” he said, eyeing the rows of CDs. Midorima just scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous, I would never deign to listen to  _Mozart_. This is just for the purposes of a lucky item. I prefer less plebeian composers, like Chopin.” Kagami just blinked at him. Mozart and Chopin, who could tell the difference? Kagami certainly couldn’t.

Just then, Takao slung an arm around Kagami from behind him, making him jump. He smirked. “Fancy seeing you here, Kagami-kun. Where’s my fellow shadow? I need him here to tease you guys with me.” Kagami shoved his arm off. “Kuroko’s busy studying for entrance exams — I haven’t seen him in a while.”

Midorima stiffened and stared at him. “I understand that unlike you, Kuroko’s going to be a productive member of society,” Kagami and Takao simultaneously rolled their eyes, “but do you not care that he is not going to be playing basketball with you anymore in future?”

Kagami gaped. “What are you talking about? Of course we’ll always play basketball together, we’re partners!”

This time, Takao rolled his eyes, but smiled indulgently at him. “Oh Kagami-kun, I knew you weren’t too good with all these emotions stuff, but I didn’t know how much so. What do you think Kuroko-kun will be doing while you gallivant off to become a basketball star in whatever team you join?”

Kagami blinked. Midorima whacked him upside the head. “Idiot, you’re leaving him behind.”

Kagami stared, mouth hanging open incredulously. “You don’t even know what you’re talking about! If anything,  _Kuroko’s_  the one leaving  _me_  behind. He hasn’t wanted to play basketball with me at all!”

Takao mussed Kagami’s hair, still smiling that irritatingly indulgent smile. “How precious. You really don’t understand, do you? Kuroko-kun’s  _terrified_  to be dragging you down.”

Midorima added, “I really don’t care about you both. However. Even if Kuroko is an Aquarius, and you are an insufferable idiot, I can’t stand by watching you both act like the fools you are.”

He pushed his glasses up condescendingly. “Kuroko has always been like this; loving basketball so much he gravitates to those who shine at it, while trying to support them in his own way. What happened with Aomine scared him. He just wants to avoid something like that happening again with you. So he’s decided to do move ahead, on his own.”

Takao wiped a fake tear from his eyes. “Shin-chan, that was beautiful. And you say you don’t care.” He patted a stunned Kagami on the back. “What are you waiting for? Go get your shadow!”

Even though Kagami spluttered at all the embarrassing things being said (against the soundtrack of dramatic classical music no less), he left with a renewed sense of purpose, despite a bright red face and a muttered, “That overdramatic idiot.”

As they watched him leave, Takao elbowed Midorima, eyes dancing mischievously. “Hey, Shin-chan. Aren’t you glad our partnership doesn’t have as much drama as they do? You’re lucky I’m so well-adjusted, even with you emotionally abusing me all the time.”

“Shut up, Takao,” Midorima just said. Takao just smiled fondly. “I love you too, Shin-chan.”

Kagami went straight to the library. It was silent, the absence of music made all the more obvious by the occasional turning of a page.

Kuroko was there, poring over a basketball magazine. His books were open but lay forgotten as he peered at basketball strategies, eyes alight with love and fascination. Watching him, Kagami felt comforted despite all that. The Kuroko he knew who loved basketball with his whole being was still there.

Kagami slammed a hand on Kuroko’s head. “I didn’t know Japanese universities tested students on the Los Angeles Laker’s best offensive strategies in their entrance exams,” he commented as he sat across from Kuroko.

Kuroko blinked at him, rubbing his head. “How rude, Kagami-kun. That hurts.” But he folded his magazine and peered at Kagami. “Is there something I can help you with? Otherwise, I would like to get back to studying.”

Kagami rolled his eyes. “Stop giving me that crap. Let’s play a one-on-one game now, come on.” He levelled a challenging gaze at Kuroko.

Kuroko considered him, serious as usual. “But I thought Kagami-kun doesn’t like playing one-on-one with me— you prefer playing with me only when we’re in a team against others. And besides, I need to be studying, not playing basketball.”

Kagami reached over and whacked him upside the head. “Stop turning my own words against me.” Then he muttered, turning red as he always did when he was going to say something to do with stupid  _feelings_. “I always like playing basketball with you.”

Kuroko’s eyes widened imperceptibly, and if Kagami could believe his own eyes, his lips curved slightly upwards. “Kagami-kun should be training with better, more professional players to attract scouts, though,” he said.

Why did he always have to make things difficult? Kagami wondered, frustrated. He groaned loudly, “I know! I just want to always play basketball with  _you_  as well, okay?” Realizing what he just said, Kagami started turning bright red.

Kuroko this time was allowing a fuller, slightly more obvious smile. “I’m impressed— Kagami-kun must have been reading more,” he said. “I didn’t know you read at all, but that came straight out of a manga. Or a dramatic novel.”

Kagami spluttered. “Shut up!  _You_  say embarrassing things all the time!” He rubbed the back of his head, awkwardly. “So, are you going to study or play basketball with me?”

Before Kuroko could answer, hands slammed on both their shoulders. “Both of you,  _out_. You’re making too much noise! We’re in a  _library_ ,” the librarian hissed.

And so Kagami and Kuroko found themselves together on Seirin’s basketball court, for the first time in weeks.

As they played basketball, Kagami found himself discovering what it felt like to play with Kuroko again, like listening to an old song after a while and still finding yourself enjoying it. Because even though Kuroko was not a fascinatingly strong one-on-one player, the way the Miracles might be, he was still a heck of a basketball player.

He was still a player Kagami could always count on to love basketball just as much as he did, and play with all his heart. That in itself made him worth playing basketball with. That in itself made Kagami want to play basketball with him forever, like listening to favourite song over and over again.


End file.
